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| A couple's Jumping photo at Shooting venue |
This article will explain the marriage process that is followed in church weddings.
After the proposal is accepted by the woman side they set a date to ask about the new couple's plans. Others they choose to get straight into the marriage whilst a certain number of people choose to do full church practices.
The two sides set a date and form a committee called Wedding committee. It contains people from man's and women's sides, from church, and some Community members.
Later, when they meet again, they make small sub committees responsible for various activities. There are like Food Committee, Entertainment Committee, Transport, Decorations and the main protocol. The whole committee is headed by a person called Chairperson.
Then after, they agree number of days they are supposed to be meeting and for how many weeks. Mostly they agree 4 weeks or 5 meetings before the wedding day.
| The next step the couple to be is invited to tell the committee about their wedding plans and proposed budgets. During this time they also explain things they have already paid and things remaining to be covered. The committee checks everything thoroughly. |
It is not simple as you think it requires dedication and sacrifice for everything to smoothly be done.
From this stage, the sub committees, identifies the right Venue the wedding to be hosted, good photographers, shooting snaps site, vehicles to be used by the bride and groom and the bridal party. The also make sure the suit for the husband to be is arranged and the wedding dresses.
They also include decoration type, cake production, snacks and drinks to be used at the Hall or Events Garden. I mean everything to be orderly done.
Remember the committed prefer to be assembling every Sundays as a preferred day because many people are partially engaged.
In the last meeting preferably held two days to wedding day is a crucial one which can be simply be called "Final Checking Meeting" or "Verification Meeting".
On this final meeting, they identity how the bridal will sleep at a waiting house as the next day becomes the real wedding day. They are put in one house to make sure they keep time and also to avoid bad behaviors to occur overnight. Remember the bridal party is usually participated by the young ones less than 18 years.
I also want to let you know the contents or set up of the whole wedding party Crew.
A good setting of a wedding team is between 14 to 18 including the owners (boy and a girl to wed).
In first place there are two: one bride and one groom, then stick boy who at church carries the Bible, then Flower girl, then, one Lady In Waiting (this lady is older woman who advises all the bridal party of what to do as the process goes one during by the wedding day).
There are also three or four sets of boy and girl which dances in the procession of the wedding ceremony at the wedding Hall or at the church.
On the wedding day now everyone becomes extremely excited despite all the conflicts occurred during the processes before wedding.
Bear in mind also we have two different churches some worship on Saturdays others on Sundays. The Adventists conduct their weddings on Sundays whilst the Sunday worshipers prefer to do on Saturdays.
The best wedding vehicle is ridden by the girl and it bears the name "JUST MARRIED" or others prefer to put the name for example: 'Peter and Grace's. The girl is escorted by the bridal party vehicles.
The man gets into his Normal vehicle with his boys. The girl starts to arrive at the church and then the man's team arrives second.
They enter into the church which is also well decorated whilst candles aligned on the church Pulpit.
The girl starts entering whilst being held in hands by either her father, mother or any family senior member and the same with the man who enters from another entrance of the church.
They move slowly whilst dancing to the slow tunes being played at a lower volume then they meet at the center of the church to exchange or doing handing overs.
Later on, the man of God either the Bishop, Pastor takes over to bless the family and swearing the an oath for better for worse they shall be together only death shall separate them.
After blessing them couple it is now declared husband and wife not more their names but Mr and Mrs.
They later, go to sign marriage certificate in the church witnessed by the pastor, two family members form both sides. Then the walk out.
| After church service they got to a special place to do photo shooting. Memorable photos are usually done at that venue then after they go to rest whilst taking their meals (lunch/Super). |
If they choose to officiate the wedding during the day time they go to Hall or wedding Garden after taking their meals.
This is a site where there much of fun than anything else. There are dances of different styles of your mother or father you never see them dancing this is the right place please arrange your wedding as well if you are not yet married.
This special function at Hall is led by a person known by the name 'Master of Ceremony', or 'Director of Ceremony'.
People who prepared gifts in for of materials or money it is their time to showcase them
After the Hall they go to Honeymoon a place prior arranged where the new couple will enjoy their interests. They stay there for either two or three days.but others prefer one day due to other commitments.
This is how the wedding ceremony starts and ends in the religious protocol and it is not 100% different from the way traditional people do their weddings.